Manufacturing

Multiple warehouses in progress throughout Spokane County

620K square feet of industrial space in works this year

March 24, 2022

Work is progressing on a number of industrial and warehouse developments in Spokane County, where active projects will bring over 620,000 square feet of new facilities online as soon as this year. The largest such development is the 125-acre Douglass

Guest Commentary: Forest health practices should include logging, planting

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March 24, 2022

Don Brunell

Washington's Board of Natural Resources is considering banning timber harvesting on state lands. That is extremely unwise. Instead, the board must ensure its healthy forest policies incorporate all management tools, including planting, thinning, and

Crash Champions acquires three Spokane auto body shops

Trio of purchases gives Illinois company total of five INW locations

March 24, 2022

Virginia Thomas

An auto repair company based in Illinois has acquired three auto body collision repair shops in Spokane. Matt Ebert, founder and CEO of Crash Champions LLC, says the Westmont, Illinois-based company has been focusing on expanding into markets in which

Sioux Steel acquires Scafco Grain System

Buyer Sioux Steel Co. to keep Scafco employees, operations in Spokane

March 24, 2022

Mike McLean

Longtime Spokane company Scafco Grain Systems Co. has been acquired by Sioux Steel Co., of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Scafco Grain Systems, which designs and manufactures grain storage bins, silos, handling equipment, and drying technology, has operated

Washington state, Russia share commerce history, uncertain future

Commerce relationship decades in the making deteriorates in wake of invasion of Ukraine

March 24, 2022

Mike Flynn

Watching Russia in an aggressor role in its unprovoked war on Ukraine likely has brought a mix of sadness and regret for those who recall the time in 1994 that Boris Yeltsin, first president of the Russian Federation, stood before a Seattle luncheon

Property crimes rise in Spokane core

Some say numbers would be worse if more businesses reported vandalism, break-ins

March 24, 2022

Virginia Thomas

Commercial property crime is up in the downtown core, and property owners say they're increasing protection measures. According to data from the Spokane Police Department's crime report statistics, commercial burglary reports increased nearly 127%

Scafco Grain Systems sold to South Dakota company

Sioux Steel Co. to retain employees, operations in Spokane

March 17, 2022

Mike McLean

Longtime Spokane company Scafco Grain Systems Co. has been acquired by Sioux Steel Co., of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Baxter Performance to expand into retail markets

Dealerships, repair shops may carry products made by Baxter Performance

March 10, 2022

Karina Elias

Spokane Valley-based manufacturer Baxter Performance is expanding its line of automotive oil filter adaptors to be placed in car dealerships and service garages for retail sales. Kevin Baxter, president of Baxter Performance says of the move:

Whatever Happened To: Mullen's plans for a West Plains electric-vehicle manufacturing plant

Startup Mullen Automotive moves on from Spokane, opens new plant in South

January 27, 2022

Mike McLean

Mullen Automotive Inc. appears to have left Spokane and Memphis, Tennessee both in its rearview mirror and now is planning to base its initial electric-vehicle production in Mississippi.

Bill backed by Billig to entice manufacturing jobs

Economic development groups like the measure, but it could reduce PDA revenues

January 27, 2022

Karina Elias

A state Senate bill designed to provide incentives to create manufacturing jobs is receiving some support here, though it might reduce revenue for some public entities that were created to promote such job creation.